“Well, well,” she says, voice soft and singsong, as if the wind itself spoke. “Prince Ryatt, I thought you’d forgotten all about me. And look—you’ve found yourself a mate. How very…warm of you.”
Before I can even respond, she holds up something in her translucent palm. Holly’s locket necklace.
“Eirvyn,” I warn, the name snapping through the air like cracking ice. “Put it back.”
She smiles—a slow, wicked little smile, showing off her sharp canines.”Oh, I will…eventually. You know how I adore shiny things.” Her gaze slides to Holly, who’s staring wide-eyed, coffee steaming in front of her. “You must be the one I’ve been hearing all those wishes about.”
“Wishes,” Holly croaks.
Eirvyn winks. “Don’t worry, little dreamer. The snow always tells me everything. Only the special snowflakes reveal the fates of those who deserve it.”
She blinks out of existence, only to land on the edge of Holly’s coffee mug. Her tiny hand dips into the creamy mixture before licking her fingers. She gags and sticks out her tongue. “Gross, I don’t know how you mortals drink essentially sugar in a cup.”
“Eirvyn,” I say through gritted teeth. “Why are you really here?”
She waves her hand at me as she balances her elbow on her knee, staring at Holly as if she’s a riddle she’ll need to solve. “You know I’ve seen what you have coming, and I must say I love it.” Her nose tilts towards the sky. “Which is a high compliment coming from me. Remember that.”
“Enough,” I snap. “State your purpose.”
Eirvyn groans loudly, her delicate shoulders drooping. “Fine.”
She blinks back into existence next to me before she snaps her fingers. A tiny scroll appears in her hand before she hands it over to me.
I roll it out, a stone dropping in my stomach as I consider all the things this could be. It’s not every day that one of Aurielle’s helpers visits you, and it’s rarely for a positive reason.
The note unfurls in my hand, slowly expanding into a letter written on old parchment. The letters glitter silver as if they are written with ice themselves.
Prince Ryatt Dasher,
The season turns, and with it your father’s light dims. The mantle of the North grows restless, waiting for the heir to take the reins.
The circle gathers at the Hall of Reins. Return home before the first bell tolls tonight or the snow will have to choose another.
Bring the bond you’ve forged—she’s part of the storm now.
~By Aurielle’s will, Keeper of the Light Eternal
My blood runs cold. I thought I had more time. I’ve always known this summons would come, it’s a birthright we are taught about from a very young age. But I didn’t think it would happen this soon. Not right after I found my mate.
“What does it say?” Holly asks, her voice soft and unsure.
I roll the scroll until it dissolves into snowflakes falling down before it disappears as if it never existed before.
“It’s time,” I say quietly, my head falling back as a groan comes from deep within my soul. “They are calling me home.”
Chapter Fifteen
Snow Place Like Home
Holly
The snow feels different here. It’s softer, almost as if someone shook powdered sugar through a sieve, landing in quiet little puffs instead of thick clumps. Each rolling hill glitters in the morning light, a sea of diamonds glistening. If this were a fairy-tale, I’d be in a deep red gown with a petty coat lined in white fur. I’m both enchanted and deeply suspicious.
Ryatt walks beside me, his hand firmly in mine as we follow the winding path away from town. Every time I look back, Sugarplum Hollow glows brightly in the distance like a snowglobe someone twisted the windup on.
It’s beautiful here, but the air feels heavy or maybe it’s the feelings running through me. All I know is the world feels asthough it’s holding it’s breath, waiting for something to happen. Something that will change the world. You can feel it in the silence, with the birds sitting on the branches watching us as we pass by.
Chester’s head pokes out from my zipped jacket, his little eyes darting around as he huffs at the snow. “Don’t you dare think about it. There won’t be any chasing of ice fairies or stealing any cookies. Do you hear me?” He howls as he rolls his eyes before ducking back into my jacket.
